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ifâ€" Bell Telephone in Beachburg April 2016 lof3 Bell Telephone in Beachburg Alexander Graham Bell‘s invention of the telephone brought a great advance in communication. In the beginning of telephone use, Bell held a monopoly in Canada and was incorporated in 1880. Bell was however, in 1885, the Canadian government broke this Bell charter as they felt that telephone service needed to extend to rural needs. These smaller companies extended telephone service to the more rural areas not served by Bell. The village of Beachburg began this innovative service in 1906 when Bell Canada installed one telephone service in Bennie‘s store. This central switchboard for Beachburg was moved to several locations through the years. Doctors, business folk and others made great use of this innovation in communication. North Renfrew Telephone Company When Bells monopoly was broken in 1905 it became possible for independents to establish telephone service to the more rural areas. In 1911, the independent Co. North Renfrew Telephone Company (NRTCO) was formed in Beachburg. Eight hundred local residents purchased shares of $5.00 each in 1919. Prior to the telephone‘s arrival in the village, Beachburg had telegraph communication with other areas as begun in 1876. The office soon closed as the railways provided their own telegraph service. In 1919, patents were granted for NRTCO to extend telephone service to Westmeath Township. By 1922, changes in patents allowed for extension to Pembroke and Ross Townships. swerd 11